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No; 293,816. Patented Feb. 19, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

. EMORY STOOKIVELL AND HERBERT O. STOOKWEL'L, OF STAMFORD, GON- NEOTIOUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE YALE & TOWN E MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TIME-LOCK.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,816, dated February 19, 1884.

Application filed September 26, 1883. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern Be it known that we, EMORY S'rooKwnLL and HERBERT O. SrooKwELL, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Alate mode of attacking safes and vaults the bolt work of whose doors is fastenedin the locked position by means of time-locks is by discharging dynamite or other quick explosive on the outside of the doors to which the locks are applied, in close proximity to the looks. The object of this explosion is to endeavor by the concussion to displace some part of the time mechanism, in the expectation that it will run down and unlock thelock. Injury to a timelock by concussion of any sort was anticipated and guarded against in a time-lock patented by Emory Stockwell, one of the parties hereto, in United States Patent No. 168,062, granted September 21, 1875. The

method there used is the cushioning of the movement on springs. Experiments have shown that by a proper adjustment of, springs a time-lock can be made entirely secure against attack by concussion. It may possibly in some cases, however, be desirable to provide addi-. tional security against attacks of this sort, and thedeviee here shown is one of the means of security. We are aware that the same object has been sought to be accomplished by different means-as, for example, as shown by United States Patent No. 262,094; but we do not claim any such means as shown in said patent, but prefer our own, as shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa front view, partly in section,

' of atime-lock with our improvements applied.

Fig. 2 is a section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mainspring. Fig. 4 is a detached section of the mainspring- I arbor.

Y In order that the mainspring, when wound, should drive the time mechanism, it is of course necessary that the arbor should be securely attached to the mainspring. If, now, the connection between the mainspring and the winding post or arbor is broken, the mainspring will unwind without affecting the timemovement in any way. In order to connect and disconnect the inner end of the mainspring and the winding-post D, we provide a longitudinal groove, F, in the post, and intersect it with an annular groove, G, of equal, or it may be of greater, depth and of suitable width. Then we provide a sleeve, H, to encircle the post. This sleeve has a short stud, I, on its outside, which passes through a slot in the inner end of the mainspring and connects the spring to the sleeve; or the connection may be made in any other suitable way. It also has a short spline, K, on its inside, to enter the longitudinal groove F in the post. By these means the sleeve and post and the inner end of the niainspring are engaged, so that the usual effects of winding with the key and running by the force of the spring are obtained. Beyond this, however, another efiect is obtained through the instrumentality of the annular groove G in the post, and by having thepost movable longitudinally in its place instead of being firmly fixed, as usual. In Figs. 2 and 4 it will be seen that the post has a 'rear extension, L, projecting back nearly in contact with the safe or vault door M. At the free end there is provided a recess, to admit of limited longitudinal thrust of the post. Between the lock and the door are placed rubber washers. Now, under a heavy concussion from dynamite or otherwise, the rubber washers permit the door and lock to approach each other, the effect of which will be that the inside of the door will strike against the end of the extension L of the post and drive it inward. The effect of this will be to bring the annular groove in the post opposite the short spline, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, when the sleeve H will rotate freely on the post by force of the mainspring, which force will be quickly expended in that way without affecting the escapement orunfastening the bolt-work.

In Figs. 2 and 4 the parts just described are shown in the ordinary operative relation to each otherthat is, the sleeve is engaged by its short spline in the longitudinal slot of the post, and the inner end of the mainspring is secured to the stud and the outside of the sleeve, so that when the post is turned the 100 spring will be wound, and then will operate to turn the post back and work the time mech amsm.

In Fig. 4 the sleeve is shown, and its short spline, as indicated in the section lines, is shown in the position of engagement with the post, and in the dotted lines in the position of disengagement with the post. This spline, being shorter than the width of the annular groove in the post, will permit the sleeve to rotate whenever the post is thrust inward, so as to bring the spline within the annular groove, and thus permit the spring to uncoil rapidly. The post stands normally in the position of engagement with the sleeve and of operative connection with the mainspring, and is to beheld in this position by some slight forcesuch as frictionor it may be by means of a thread-nut, O, with slight screw-threads, which will be sufficient to maintain the post in place, but at the same time will give way readily to a blow such as might be suflicient to derange the escapement mechanism and cause the running down of the time-lock.

Ve do not limit our invention to the precise mechanical means shown for disconnecting a mainspring and its winding post or arbor, as various mechanical details might be changed without departing from the spirit of our invention. I

\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination of the mainspring and winding-post of a time-lock and connecting mechanism between them, constructed and arranged to automatically disconnect the inner end of the mainspring from its operative connection with the post when the post is moved longitudinally by concussion or the like, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a time-lock case and a mainspring detachably secured at its inner end by suitable connecting mechanism to a winding-post which projects from the back of the ease, and is constructed and arranged to slide inward when struck on its projecting end, and to thereby release the connection between the inner end of the spring and the post, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the mainspring, the inner end of the winding-post having the annular and longitudinal grooves, and the sleeve with its stud and short spline, all constructed and operated together substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 25th day of July, A. D. 1883.

EMORY STOOIUVELL. HERBERT O. STOOKXVELL.

Vitnesses as to E. Stockwell: ScnUYLnR Mn mrr'r, Gno. E. WHITE.

As to H. G. Stockwell:

CHAS. E. VAIL, II. S. MeCoNKEY. 

